In a report on VentureBeat, Echtra Games was announced to have been acquired by mobile giant Zynga in a bid to expand their operations to the PC and console space.
The studio was purchased as part of Zynga's push into the cross-platform space especially, with Echtra Games being a crucial next step in that vision. The terms of the deal were not made public.
Echtra Games was co-founded by Max Schaefer, one of the creators of the Diablo and Torchlight franchise, with many on the 15-person team comprising of vets that played roles in the creation of those iconic ARPG franchises. Echtra's latest game, Torchlight III, launched last year after it was morphed from the team's MMO-vision, Torchlight Frontiers.
As such, Echtra Games will be creating a new, unnannounced RPG for cross-platform, according to VentureBeat. The upcoming game will be made in partnership with Zynga's NaturalMotion Studio. As far as exactly what this game will look like and if it will be int he same vein of the ARPGs that have made Schaefer and his team so successful, remains to be seen.
Schaefer praised the acquisition in a statement to GamesBeat, stating the following:
“Getting to know the Zynga leadership team convinced us that we share values, a vision of where game development is going, and a culture that will benefit both parties. Our team’s skills match their growth and expansion strategy perfectly. We wanted to find a home that matched our ambitious goals and vision for games, and we’ve found one.”
Torchlight III released late last year, and while it's a good game it didn't quite live up to expectations many had for the series, with our own Robert Baddeley stating that while the framework is there for a great game, the pacing and power curve leave a lot to be desired.
